Gilles Lapierre, former managing director of Cycles Lapierre, has broken his silence following the Dijon-based company's placement under judicial reorganisation. In a statement, he addresses the current situation of the brand, defends the record of his years at its helm and says he is prepared to contribute to a solution aimed at preserving both the company's activities and jobs.
The Commercial Court of Dijon has officially opened the judicial reorganisation (redressement judiciaire) of Cycles Lapierre as it seeks independence from the now-bankrupt Accell Group. The French brand's CEO William Perrier is happy with the development: "We've got an opportunity. It's up to us to transform it into a future."
Following Accell Group's Dutch suspension of payments, international subsidiaries are taking control of their own fate. Cycles Lapierre has filed for judicial reorganisation in France, while Accell UK & Ireland (Raleigh) has lodged a notice to appoint administrators.
Following well-documented financial struggles over the last few years, Accell today has stated that the last debt reduction has further stabilised the company, "while additional funding enabled Accell to accelerate the execution of the final steps of its transformation." As it prepares for this season with a sharpened portfolio of new models and a significantly leaner build after divesting non-core brands, is the once mighty Accell Group now out of the woods?
DIJON, France - Accell Group announces today that Gilles Lapierre has decided to step down as Senior Advisor Innovation & Technology of Accell Group at the end of 2022. In his previous role as Director Innovation & Technology Gilles was responsible for the International Research & Development team of Accell Group based in Germany, France, and The Netherlands spread across three innovation centers Sports, Lifestyle and Cargo.
HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - "We saw good sales levels and continued strong profit accretion in the second half of 2021 through November," said Accell Group CEO Ton Anbeek in a trading update published today. While the company still reported sales decline in the first half of this year, it is now much more positive on the expected full year results.
